COMMUNITY: Virgen Morena

DEGREE: Nursing

START DATE FOR UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: 2018

“Since I was a little girl my family never had a lot of resources. In order to get by, I would help my mother sell some of her homemade bread and tortillas. My father works in the fields as a farmer. My parents do everything possible to assure that I succeed in life and help us improve our welfare. There are five siblings in the family (two girls and three boys).

I went to high school at the Institute of Salinas de Nahualapa from 2011 to 2015. I had a great experience, made lots of friends, took various classes, and was able to finish with good grades-which allowed me to obtain the university scholarship I have today.

I started my nursing degree at the Universidad Nacional Multidisciplinaria Ricardo Morales Avilés (UNM–RMA) in Jinotepe, Carazo. I chose to study nursing because I like to help people with their health. My interest in health began when I started looking after my grandmother when she was very sick.

My future plans include putting my degree into practice and helping people in need. I also want to continue to try to be as humble, responsible, respectful as possible, and overall try to be a professionally-minded person. I am thankful to FunLimón for supporting me throughout my studies, but once I have graduated I will no longer be a part of this specific program and I hope that other new students are offered this opportunity.

I found out about FunLimón through a family member that works there. I decided to apply to the university scholarship program, which has had a positive and beneficial impact on my life. My overall experience as a scholarship student has been pleasant. I have become more studious and I have learned how to participate more.

I first began doing my community service hours at the FIRMC Foundation, a community center that supports health for kids and women as well as sexual health for women. One of my responsibilities was to help with the initial check-ups for women and children. However, when COVID-19 started I decided to stay home and prioritize mine and my family’s health. That was when I started providing educational support to the children in my community, especially to those with disabilities. With my help, they have been able to improve in their studies.

In my time spent with FunLimón I have also had the opportunity to help with various talks, workshops, graduations, and activities held at the foundation.

Once I’ve graduated, I aspire to find a job that relates to my degree and to have a salary that allows me to support my family, improve the infrastructure of my house, among other things. I have continued to study because my goal is to be a professional in my degree. I hope to be able to support my family, improve our general welfare, and to accomplish the goals I’ve made.

I am thankful to FunLimón for supporting my studies. Without this support I don't think my goals would have been made possible. Thank you.”

COMMUNITY: Barrio Nuevo

DEGREE: Public Accounting and Finance

START DATE FOR UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: 2022

“I am a young woman with the desire to move ahead in my future and be a professional in my career. The values my family has taught me have helped me with my dreams. For example, I try to persevere when I am in tough situations. There are four members in my family, including my mom, dad, sister, and myself. We are a very tight-knit family; we are always there for eachother in whatever situation that presents itself. 

I went to high school at San Ignacio de Loyola, where my teachers shared all their knowledge with me. During my studies there I was free to express my talents and skills. Thanks to my teachers and my will to study I was able to excel during my time there. I also had the opportunity to represent my school in cultural activities and entrepreneurship and technology activities. I liked to participate in a particular activity called counseling, in which I have a certificate of participation. I was also a member of the student council. Overall, my high school experience was a great five years of many experiences that helped with my personal development. I was proud to represent my school in the various activities I was a part of. 

I’ve only had a few family members who were able to attend university. One of them was an aunt who was an elementary school teacher. I also have four cousins that went to university to study early learning education and one cousin who studies Aquaculture Engineering. 

I am currently studying at the Universidad Nacional Politécnica (UNP). I decided to study Public Accounting and Finance because when I was in my last year of high school I discovered my passion for numbers and mathematical calculations. Moreover, I started to learn about a variety of degrees, but the one I am studying now really called to me because I can use it to get a job in many fields. 

Once I’m in my third year at university I plan to begin looking for a job as an accountant’s assistant because this will give me more work experience and allow me to put my studies into practice. My main goal at the moment is to graduate and become an accountant. By the grace of God and through the support that FunLimón gives me with the scholarship, I’ll be able to find a job in the field I desire.  

I found out about FunLimón because I had some friends that took English, computer classes, and taekwondo classes. So far, I’ve had a good time being part of the university scholarship group. The workshops with Hannah have been useful because we’ve been able to learn new skills and share our opinions about various topics. 

I do my community service hours helping one of the fifth and sixth grade teachers at the Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal School. Specifically, I help the kids win math class. Though I’ve only been a part of the scholarship group for a short time, I’ve supported FunLimón in one of the activities that they held at the foundation, along with my usual participation in the workshops (I’ve never missed one of the monthly workshops).  

Once I have finished studying I plan to look for a job so that I can support myself as well as support my family. If the situation eventually presents itself, I would like to explore the possibility of getting another degree that is also related to accounting. In spite of the obstacles I’ve faced during my time at university, I have persevered ahead because I know that all the sacrifice and effort that I put in now will be worth it in the end. I feel very proud of everything that I have achieved so far and ever since I decided to go to university, my goal has been to finish the degree despite any obstacles that arise. I know that I am just beginning my university career, but I feel proud because I am just a few months away from finishing my first year and I know that with God's help I will make it.  

I would like to express to FunLimón that I hope they continue to support young people who want to go to university and who, above all, have a spirit of perseverance when confronting difficult moments. There are many households with hard economic situations or with dysfunctional families that prevent some young people from going to university. For these reasons, there are many young people that don’t have any hope for their future. There are some young people that do have hope and they do want to excel, but because they have limited education and resources they cannot continue their studies. FunLimón has been a pillar of support for many young people, supporting them technically and preparing them with various courses as well as the university scholarship program that the foundation offers.”

COMMUNITY: Cuascoto #1.

DEGREE: Clinical Bioanalysis

START DATE FOR UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: JAN 2021

“My name is Ania Stefany Ruiz, I am twenty years old, and I am currently in my third year of studying Clinical Bioanalysis. I have two brothers- one is 15 years old and the other is 12 years old. My family is my greatest motivator to continue fighting for a better future because I long to be able to give them a better future and that they have the opportunity to continue to study. My dream is to continue to be able to continue studying with God’s help, the support of FunLimón and my family, and my own determination.

I went to highschool in Managua because my mom was living and working in the city. The highschool I attended was called Cristo Obrero and overall it was a positive experience due to the fact that I am an applied student and I am enthusiastic about learning. One of my favorite memories was visiting the children’s shelters at the Mascota Hospital where we learned various life lessons.

While very few of my family members have had the opportunity to go to university, (some have finished their studies and two are still in the process of studying) they have all attempted their best to have a better future.

The American University was my second choice when I was deciding where to study (I didn’t get into UNAN-MANAGUA). It was also the only university that offered the degree that I wanted to study and they offered the lowest cost per month. My desire to study Clinical Bioanalysis was fostered when I observed many people around me undergoing laboratory tests in order to find out the reason for their illness. I decided to study this degree to know the reasons for illnesses, and to know what is in our blood and in our waste.

My plan is to help my mother and brothers achieve a better future, as well as providing a better life for my future children. My goal is to finish my degree and fulfill all my plans. I also hope to find a job in a hospital where I can make use of my skills. Also, in the future I would like to be able to set up my laboratory if possible, or to be able to create my own pastry business, which is another dream that I have (but for the moment haven't been able to study).

I found out about FunLimón through different events that they’ve had, through their facebook posts, through my brothers, who have taken courses at the foundation in the past, and because I live in the nearby community.

My experience as a university scholarship recipient has been a positive one. FunLimón has given me hope, support, and the motivation to continue forward with my studies.

I complete my community service hours in my community, Cuascoto #1. The work consists of bringing dynamic activities to the preschool children of the José Dolores Estrada school in order to provide them with skills to adapt to certain situations.”

COMMUNITY: Virgen Morena

DEGREE: Systems Engineering

START DATE FOR UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: MARCH 202

"I live with six other family members in my house, my parents, my two sisters, my cousin and myself. I am the oldest out of all my siblings. My parents are united and good people, they are also understanding. They have supported me in my studies. My youngest sister is in elementary school and the next oldest sister is almost finished with high school. My family strives to succeed and have a better future. As for me, I am motivated to succeed in my studies by learning new things every day.

I went to three different schools when I was in high school. I started at the Salinas de Nahualapa Highschool and was there for two years. Then I went to another highschool called Nicolás Avellaneda in Argentina. For my final year of high school back in Nicaragua, I went to San Ignacio de Loyola. I had a good experience in each highschool, each one had its own rules-which I always followed. The first couple years were challenging with certain subjects like math, but with time and more time dedicated to studying the subject, I’ve been able to overcome my previous challenges (especially now because my degree involves lots of math).

My father studied film, video, and photo editing. I have one other family member that has gone to university, a cousin named Yeverson (he was also a university scholarship recipient at FunLimón). He graduated with a Systems Engineering degree, which is what I am studying now.

I wasn’t always so sure about what I wanted to study. At first I was hesitant to major in Systems Engineering because math was not one of my strongest areas. However, after I started studying I realized that I liked having a challenge. With the help of my professors I’ve been able to overcome the mathematical challenges. My degree is not solely based on mathematics, but also on problem-solving, algorithms, and programming. One of my favorite parts about my degree is learning how to program web pages and the development of various applications and software. I think that the latter areas of study are subjects that you can end up loving or despising. In my case, I love to study these subjects and I hope that I can help inspire other young people to study Systems Engineering.

Some of my goals at the moment are to finish university and to find a job as a web developer or as a web programmer. FunLimón is a foundation that supports many students and allows them to find inspiration for a successful future. The university scholarship program grants us a scholarship that we are able to have throughout our time at university as long as we keep a specific grade point average and participate in community service work.

I found out about FunLimón through a friend that had been the coordinator for the university scholarship program, Maria Fuentes. I’ve had a very positive experience in this program, especially because I’ve been able to share my ideas and experience with the other program participants each month when we have a workshop. At the monthly workshops we’re given the chance to relate more to one another and the experience of being in this program.

For the most part I’ve been doing the required community service hours independently in my home. Sometimes I give drawing classes to kids in my community on Sundays. There aren't many kids that come to the classes, but the ones that do show up have quickly advanced in their skills (such as

drawing and sketching, how to handle light and dark shades, and how to mix paint to make new colors). I am very grateful to the kids because thanks to them I can fulfill my community service, and just as they learn from me, I too can learn from them.

I have also been supporting FunLimón through attending the monthly university scholarship workshops with Hannah and helping to set up for events at the foundation.

Once I’ve finished my degree, I hope to have met all the expectations as a Systems Engineering student and put my skills into practice in the world of technology. I hope to be able to create my own projects. As I mentioned before, I would like to be a backend programmer- this is a very wonderful job and the best part is that it can be done from home or any other place.

I decided to study because I didn’t want to sit idly by, instead I wanted to find something that I was passionate about and dedicate myself to it. I am passionate about programming because it’s a way of creating and solving not only computer problems, but also everyday problems. Also, just as my parents have helped me, I would like to help them in the future. Going to university opens many doors and one of the most important is knowledge and the desire to learn more and more.

I’d like to thank the foundation for supporting young people in their studies and for supporting the university scholarship recipients with workshops that offer us useful skills and allow us to share our experiences with the other recipients.”